Insanity
by ManateeMama
Summary: Brenda realizes that insanity comes in several forms
1. Chapter 1

**Insanity**

**A/N: This story begins shortly after Brenda goes to work for the DA's office.**

**Chapter 1:**

Fritz woke up first and rolled over to look at his wife. She had peeled off the covers sometime during the night and he lay there appreciating the beauty in the curve of her back and hips and her shimmering, long blonde hair deliciously tangled around her neck and shoulders. She was perfectly framed against the background of the green sheets and he thought even Degas and Monet would find the sight of her inspiring. But she was ever so much more than a beautiful body.

_What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful woman?_ he asked himself. He thought about all they'd been through in their relationship, about all the conflicts and heartaches. They had both paid a heavy price for their careers and for choosing each other. But, as he looked at his wife, he realized that it was a small price to pay for the happiness they had finally achieved. It was corny, he knew, but corny or not, he wished he could give her the sun, moon and stars. And as he looked at her, his desire grew until he could stand it no longer. He kissed her shoulder and she stirred so he continued feathering kisses down her back until she rolled over and his lips found hers. Then he continued kissing down her body until her intensity matched his. This was their heaven. They were both sure of it.

* * *

Brenda picked up the stack of progress reports and statistical analyses and left the monthly Community Safety Resources Committee meeting and walked back to her office. She hated those COSARC meetings. Since the LAPD, the Sheriff's Office, the DA's Office and the Public Defender's Office were all headed by powerful men who all had different roles to play, they were always in opposition to one another. They spent most of their time maintaining a facade of working together but in reality, working to protect their own positions. While Brenda knew that these meetings should be a good thing, her experience told her that if they continued the current pattern, someone in the mix was going to get short-changed. That was usually the victim and that was simply unacceptable to Brenda. The head of each department was, after all, a political animal and interested in protecting his own turf more than the victims of violent crime. She had no patience and even less respect for that attitude.

As she entered her office, her irritation lifted as she focused her attention on her own work, something that she felt would actually serve the people of Los Angeles. Her secretary Linda handed her a pile of telephone messages. She could put most of them off for a couple of hours but the message from DDA Grainger said it was urgent. She handed most of the stack of meeting materials to Linda for filing and walked into her office, sank into her chair and dialed DDA Grainger's extension.

She was relieved when Mrs. Grainger didn't answer so she was able to get away with a brief voice mail message before diving into the work building up in her In Basket. Brenda wanted to finish reviewing and responding to everything and get out of the office without taking any work home. She and Fritz had a dinner date that evening so it was important that she leave work on time.

About an hour later, Linda opened her door and asked her if she wanted her to pick up something for lunch. Brenda, anticipating a delicious dinner, asked for a salad with low fat ranch dressing and a Diet Coke and withdrew a $20 bill from her purse. As she handed it to Linda she smiled and said, "Thank you, Linda. I don't know what I would do without you."

Brenda was eating her salad with one hand and turning pages in a case file with the other when Linda buzzed her again saying that DDA Grainger had asked to meet with her.

"Can you give her an appointment for tomorrow mornin'?"

"She's insisting on meeting with you this afternoon, Chief Johnson."

"Of course she is," Brenda sighed.

Marian Grainger was a plump, gray haired whirlwind who had a reputation for making or breaking the rules whenever she felt Justice would be served. Her knowledge of the law was probably the best in the DA's Office and she never violated it, but her toes were well acquainted with the legally drawn lines.

She was a sixty something career DDA who had always made it clear that her issues were more important than anyone else's. While she almost never lost a case, her success was just as often based on the fact that she evaluated the defendants carefully and was not opposed to striking rather generous deals. She would even withdraw the charges unless she was convinced in her own mind that the suspect was guilty as charged and beyond redemption. But despite her paradoxical soft spot for some defendants, she had the earned reputation of a tough litigator. Other attorneys and even some judges walked a wide circle around her.

"Ok. Give her a 3:00 appointment. And if she comes early just have her wait," she said and turned back to her files.

Promptly at 3:00 Linda buzzed Brenda and said that DDA Grainger was there for her appointment so Brenda threw her salad container and her Diet Coke cup into her waste basket and greeted Mrs. Grainger as she entered her office.

"Thank you for seeing me this afternoon, Chief Johnson," Mrs. Grainger said as Brenda invited her to take a seat. "Taking a late lunch at your desk today? I used to do that but now that I'm getting older I find I function better if I skip lunch," she said cheerily.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Grainger. What can I do for you this afternoon?" Brenda asked, deliberately ignoring the small talk. She didn't want to be rude. She just didn't have the time for an extended meeting with anyone.

"The LAPD is investigating a murder case. The victim is a minister's wife who was stabbed 38 times with a butcher knife. They have arrested the couple's only child, their fourteen year old daughter." As she spoke she handed Brenda a series of very gory crime scene photos. While Brenda examined them Mrs. Grainger continued, "The daughter, Emily Solis, made the 911 call and confessed to the murder. And because she confessed to planning the murder in advance, Chief Taylor is pushing me to offer a plea agreement of life without parole."

"And you don't agree?"

"Initially her attorney, Ben Stroud, recommended a plea of insanity. But now he is making an excellent case for a plea of innocence."

"I see. Are you gonna want Investigations to arrange for the appropriate evaluations?"

"No. We've already begun the exams."

"Wait a minute. You've already begun the exams before we've officially gotten the case?"

"Yes. Everyone agreed it was important to start the evals as soon as possible due to Emily's age and the circumstances."

"Who is 'everyone'?"

"Chief Taylor, Emily's attorney and myself."

"DDA Grainger, you do realize that Investigations has to sign off on those evals before they can be authorized."

"Yes, but I thought an exception was in order…"

"I see," Brenda interrupted, her annoyance evident in her voice. "I hope you realize that I'll have to take this to DA Corning in order to get authorization to pay for them."

"I don't think he'll see a problem," Marian replied evenly.

"What is the problem, then?"

"The evaluations are not finished yet and they're not going well so Chief Taylor is insisting on making the plea deal. Apparently he wants the case closed as soon as possible because they're overloaded."

Brenda remembered that kind of pressure but she didn't want to focus on that. "What is the basis for Mr. Stroud's position?"

"Emily spends a great deal of time talking to people who are not there. The matrons at Juvie confirmed this to me."

"Are we talkin' multiple personality disorder, or schizophrenia?"

"I don't know. The psychiatrist and psychologist both say they need more time with her. She's been in counseling for a couple of years, but with a ministerial counselor. Before the murder she'd never been seen by a psychiatrist. And the only psychologist who had seen her was a school psychologist."

"All right. Anythin' there?"

"The school psychologist didn't diagnose her but he did urge her parents to take her to a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, their follow through was limited to the ministerial counselor."

"Well, it certainly sounds like she needs to be evaluated. But you said she's already undergoin' evaluations, so why is this so pressin'?"

"The psychologist believes that she might not be the murderer. He says that she's unfocused, highly delusional and that one of her possible voices describes what he believes is Emily's reaction to coming home from school and finding her mother's body and the bloody crime scene. He believes she has internalized what she discovered and that she might not actually have committed the crime."

"I've dealt with Mr. Stroud before and I know he is capable of presentin' evidence to that effect in court, Mrs. Grainger. But tell me what would have motivated Emily to kill her mother?"

"Her parents had forbidden her to see her boyfriend again because he doesn't share their religious beliefs."

"Well, that's a classic motivator for a teenager. But what can Investigations do?"

"I would like you to investigate this case, Chief Johnson. You had such a high success rate when you were in charge of Major Crimes and..."

"Mrs. Grainger, I can't do that. My job description does not extend to takin' over open LAPD cases. Besides, if I were to try to investigate this case Chief Pope would raise holy hell with Steve and he would raise hell with me."

"I hear that Chief Taylor has asked Sharon Raydor to get involved in some unknown capacity. I have nothing against the work that she has done but she's still new and, let's face it, she just doesn't have your particular skills."

"Well, thank you, Mrs. Grainger. But I simply cannot conduct a second investigation, especially on an open LAPD case. But I'll tell you what we can do. We can discuss this with DA Corning and see what he has to say." She picked up the phone and asked to meet with her boss. "All right, thank you, sir." Hanging up the phone she turned back to DDA Grainger and said "He'll see us tomorrow mornin' at 11:30."

"Thank you, Chief Johnson," Mrs. Grainger replied and got up to leave Brenda's office.

"Oh, please leave the file, if you don't mind. I'd like to read it first thin' tomorrow mornin'. Thank you."

* * *

Brenda and Fritz were having dinner with Jerry and Annette Oakes at The Onyx. Fritz had been urging Brenda to socialize more with his co-workers so the two couples had gone out to dinner several times. While the whole social scene was still awkward for Brenda, she really liked Annette. But she was suspicious that Jerry still held the official FBI opinion that she was demon possessed. Even though she wasn't as comfortable with him, she had to admit that lately he seemed to be more relaxed around her so she, in turn, responded by relaxing more around him. Fritz enjoyed watching Brenda's and Annette's relationship grow and was hopeful that his wife would come to enjoy an occasional night out with other couples as much as he did.

And Fritz certainly enjoyed The Onyx. He appreciated the fact that the owner had resisted the urge to pack the tables too close together once the positive reviews started drawing more and more patrons. He especially loved their prime rib and the anticipation of that gastronomic delight had been causing his mouth to water all day. Brenda loved their filet of sole but it was their desserts that she had been anticipating. Actually, she always wished she could just order the entire dessert menu. But it wasn't the array of sweets that was capturing her attention tonight, and it wasn't the soft strains of the jazz band playing, either.

The Oakes had just returned from a luxury Hawaiian cruise and they were brimming with excitement, telling wonderful stories about beautiful places. But it was the photographs they shared that had Brenda and Fritz positively drooling.

"I've been to Hawaii before but I've never taken a cruise and I didn't see all of these places. I would do anythin' to take a cruise like this," Brenda sighed.

Fritz agreed but said, "We're saving for a house so we can't afford anything like this right now."

When Jerry saw Brenda nodding in agreement he said, "That's the best part. It was free. And you don't have to choose Hawaii. There are several destinations you can choose from."

"They even paid for our airfare to Hawaii. Of course we had to pay for everything we did at the different ports of call but all our food and entertainment on board the ship was free," Annette interjected.

Jerry agreed. "It was easily the best and the cheapest vacation we've ever taken."

"Free? How did you get it for free?" Brenda was definitely intrigued.

"I have a friend who works for Onsite Research Associates," Annette explained. "She basically writes research surveys for various marketing consultants and study institutions who want to learn more about human behavior, functioning, that kind of thing. Well anyway, she told me about a survey she had written for a behavioral science research consortium about the sexual practices of people over forty." Annette saw Brenda visibly backing up so she added, "Now, I'm not saying that the questions were easy to answer but it was completely anonymous so it wasn't that horrible. And the reward was definitely worth it."

Fritz's voice was loaded with skepticism. "Why would any legitimate group offer something so expensive in return for just a survey?"

"They tried to get participation with lesser incentives but people over forty are just not that eager to share their sexual experiences. Several millions of federal dollars as well as future government contracts were at stake so they felt they needed to up the ante. They went searching for a commercial partner who could benefit from the results of the research and the travel industry was a good fit," Jerry explained. "They're basically using unsold cabins and the ships are sailing anyway. And I'm sure they figure that they're building future business."

"I guess that makes sense. Middle aged and older people have the time and money for travel," Fritz agreed and added, "If the cruises were offered by the travel industry they wouldn't even cost that much."

"And younger people don't need the incentive to share their personal sexual histories. Good grief, you can get it straight from Instagram and Tumblr!" Jerry added. When he saw Brenda smile at that he continued, "They needed a larger sample so they extended the survey. It's still open. You and Brenda should look into it," he urged Fritz.

"Oh, I don't think we..." Brenda was getting embarrassed just thinking about it but she was interrupted by Annette.

"You should check it out. Look, I'm not saying the survey is easy. It's very personal and very intrusive. But you are identified only by a number. You never have to give your name."

Fritz's interest level was rising. "If we were interested, what would we have to do?" As soon as he asked the question he saw both astonishment and horror on Brenda's face.

Jerry saw it too so he just focused on Fritz. "The first thing to do is to call an 800 number. They'll ask for some demographic information over the phone. If you qualify, and I don't know why you wouldn't, they call you back in a couple of days and give you a serial number and a date and time for the interview. I think we've still got the phone number if you think you'd be interested."

"That's kind of you but..." Brenda said.

"Sure, thanks," Fritz said at the same time. Seeing the daggers Brenda was throwing at him, he turned to her and explained, "It wouldn't hurt to just check it out."

Annette saw Brenda's face starting to get red and she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger at Fritz so she quickly added, "The information they get from the phone call isn't bad at all. Fritz can take care of it if you like."

"Tell her about the interview," Jerry suggested.

"Ok. Some of it was very detailed and you have to agree up front to answer every question truthfully. But you never see the person asking the questions and she never sees you. It's kind of like a confessional booth situation. I was interviewed by a woman and Jerry was interviewed separately by a man. After the first few minutes it wasn't bad at all."

"How long does the interview last?" Fritz asked. He was clearly intrigued and Brenda was appalled.

"About an hour," Jerry replied.

Brenda was agitated and groaned audibly. She was as much agitated by Fritz's interest as by the subject matter.

"Just think about it," Annette said to her as the couples said good night. "It was a fabulous, low cost vacation and we couldn't have afforded it any other way. I know you'd love it as much as we did."

* * *

Driving home, Annette and Jerry discussed the evening. "Did you catch Brenda's body language?" When Jerry nodded Annette continued, "She seemed so repressed and embarrassed. I wonder if they even have a sex life."

"I don't know. Fritz doesn't talk about it but he doesn't seem to be repressed or frustrated to me."

"Well, if they do, I bet it's just once a year, in the missionary position, and in the dark," she commented dryly.

* * *

Also on the way home Brenda asked, "Fritzi, are you _really_ interested in doin' this?"

"Honey, how else can we afford a fabulous vacation like that?"

"Well, we can't. But I could never answer those kinds of questions."

"Haven't you ever had to listen to people give explicit sexual details when you were doing an investigation?"

"Yes, of course. But I wasn't the one answerin' the questions."

"But asking the questions was just part of your job, right? Didn't you forget about it the minute you went on to the next case?"

"Yes, but..."

"You'd just be a number. The person asking the questions isn't really interested in you. She'll just be doing her job, gathering information."

"You really want to do this, don't you?"

"I'd like us to make the call, yes. Look, I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do. But if I were to make the call and you were to listen in, we'd have more information in making our decision. I don't want us to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime without learning as much as we can."

"I don't know," Brenda was definitely not convinced.

"You could just listen in on the extension. I would do all the talking."

Brenda was frustrated. She saw how much Fritz wanted to pursue this. "Why do you want to do this so badly?"

"Because I've never taken a cruise before. And it sounded like the vacation I've always wished I could give you."

"Oh, honey! I don't need a fancy vacation to be happy." Brenda's heart was beginning to melt.

"I love it that you're not high maintenance. But I still wish that that I could give you everything you deserve," Fritz admitted. "And you've had such a horrible year. I think this cruise would be good for both of us."

This got to Brenda and she sighed, "All right. I'll think about it." She saw Fritz smile so she quickly added, "But no makin' the phone call unless I say ok. And no makin' it without me listenin' in."

"Thank you," Fritz gave her hand a squeeze, "I promise, but you have to promise me to give the idea serious consideration."

"I promise too," Brenda sighed.

"Just think about the cruise, ok?"

Brenda didn't reply. She was trying to decide which was worse: completing the survey or once again disappointing Fritz.

_To Be Continued…_

12


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter references my story "Girls Night Out".**

**Chapter 2:**

Brenda studied the Solis file. It was well documented but all activity stopped with Emily's confession. She picked up the phone and called Sgt. Gabriel. When there was no answer she left a message asking him to come to her office.

At 11:30 that morning, Brenda and DDA Grainger sat down with Steve Corning. Brenda asked Marian to present the situation and she did so, along with her suggestion that Brenda take over the investigation of the case.

"Marian, I concur with your assessment of Chief Johnson's talents. That's why I hired her. But the DA's office simply cannot take over LAPD cases. However, we can meet with the LAPD to discuss this case, specifically your concerns, and see if we can't come to an agreement."

DDA Grainger furrowed her brow. "Who would attend this meeting?"

"I would invite Chief Taylor to meet with myself, Chief Johnson and you."

"I would also like to include our LAPD liaison," Brenda added.

"Good idea," Steve agreed. "I'll set it up. Just make sure your calendars are up to date. And give my secretary the complete file."

"May I suggest that Ben Stroud also meet with us?" Marian asked.

"That might be premature. But if future negotiations are necessary it might be appropriate to include him in a subsequent meeting." Then Steve turned to Brenda and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"No, sir. Thank you." And she and DDA Grainger left his office. When she reached her own office Brenda asked Linda to get Ben Stroud on the phone.

A few minutes later, Linda buzzed her and told her that Mr. Stroud was on the line.

"Please see if you can find David Gabriel and ask him to come to my office," Brenda replied and punched the blinking line. "Mr. Stroud, thank you for speakin' with me."

"Any time, Chief Johnson. What can I do for the DA's office today?"

"I've reviewed the Solis case with DDA Grainger and DA Corning. And I have a couple of concerns I'd like to discuss with you."

"As long as I don't have to violate my client's rights I'll be glad to talk to you," Stroud cautiously replied.

"I don't want to violate her rights, but I must admit that I'm gonna be skirtin' along the edge. Marian Grainger says that you believe that your client may be innocent of this murder but that the LAPD is pressin' for a plea deal. I don't know how much of your case you can disclose but I'd like to know why you believe your client is innocent. Do you have a firm mental health diagnosis at this point?"

"Not yet. The evaluation by the prosecution's mental health experts is not yet complete and the defense experts have not yet evaluated her."

"So, can you tell me why you believe your client is innocent?"

"I can tell you what I'm sure is already in your case file. Juvie matrons have stated that Emily frequently talks in the third person and describes her coming home from school and discovering the murder scene."

"Has anyone confirmed that Emily speakin' in the third person is evidence of either an alternate personality or of her hearin' voices?"

"No, not yet. The psychiatrist stated that she was oriented and focused on the one occasion in which he has seen her. But the psychologist described her as being unfocused and alternately uncommunicative and talking in the third person."

"I see. DA Corning is gonna set up a meetin' with the LAPD to discuss this case."

"Can you tell me what position the DA's office is taking?"

"At this point we're not prepared to take a position. No one wants to see a mentally ill fourteen year old girl given a life sentence if she's innocent. But we also do not want to let a brutal killer off if she's not. I've reviewed the LAPD case file and the investigation seems to have focused only on Emily since she confessed. All of this leads me to believe that there may be more to this case than we know at this time."

"I agree, Chief Johnson. And that is why both Marian and I want to see a renewed investigation of this case before we consider any deal."

David knocked on Brenda's door and she waved him in as she concluded her call. "I'm sure that Marian will be back in touch with you after we meet with the LAPD. Thank you for your time." As she hung up the phone she pivoted to David. "We have a situation that you need to be involved in." She explained the Solis case to him and concluded, "So, I'd like you to attend the meetin'. DA Corning has the case file but you can get it when he's finished with it and acquaint yourself with the details."

* * *

Fritz was in the break room listening to a debate between fellow agents on which team was going to win the pennant in the upcoming season. He got up and poured himself another cup of coffee and returned to his seat.

"What's the matter, Fritz? Did you stay up late watching Jay Leno last night?" Tony Abruzzi asked.

A fleeting smile crossed Fritz's face but he just shook his head without replying.

Then Jerry joked, "I'll bet Fritz had his annual night of getting lucky."

When he heard that, Fritz took another swig of his coffee because he knew his expression would give him away. _They don't know how lucky I got._

"Nah, he never gets lucky. I bet he woke himself up with his own snoring," Pete Brady guessed.

When everyone laughed, Fritz just shook his head. Then he swallowed the last of his coffee and left the room.

Trudy Desmond, who had overheard the conversation while washing tables laughed, "Yeah, he got lucky last night."

"I don't think 'lucky' is the right word to use when talking about Brenda," Pete observed.

"Yas sir, he did. Doan you know when a man droopy-eyed, then needs extra coffee, an' walkin' around with a satisfied smile, dat a woman made him dat way?" When the guys just looked at her with surprise she continued, "An' you call youselves _Special Agents_? An' you cain't spot a satisfied man? Yas, dat man, he get lucky more dan any other man 'round here." Trudy laughed derisively and continued washing tables as the men turned to stare at the door.

* * *

Brenda entered Steve's conference room and greeted DDA Grainger and Sgt. Gabriel. And, after claiming her seat, she poured herself a cup of coffee and selected a croissant from the pastry cart. Just as she was taking her seat, Sharon Raydor and Chief Taylor arrived, followed by DA Corning.

"Didn't you sleep well, Chief?" Sgt. Gabriel asked.

"I could have used another hour or two," Brenda admitted.

When the rest had gotten their coffee and were seated at the table, Steve turned to DDA Grainger and asked her to summarize the case as it was known to the DA's office. After her brief summary DDA Grainger asked if the LAPD had a disagreement with anything she'd said.

"Nothing you said was incorrect but I'd like to expand on it," Sharon offered. When both Brenda and DDA Grainger nodded she continued. "I've been asked to review this case. The record indicates that Rev. and Mrs. Solis were strict but loving parents who wanted the best for their daughter. They both were very religious and Emily did not appear to rebel against their conservative beliefs, but Emily was upset because her parents had forbidden her to have any further contact with her boyfriend. She had been sneaking around and seeing him anyway and her parents had just found out about it. Apparently there was a huge fight the night before the murder."

"So, do you feel that this fight was the precipitatin' incident?" Brenda asked.

"We do," Sharon replied.

Steve then asked, "What about the father? What is his role in all this?"

"Rev. Solis was described as a loving husband and father. He's grieving, of course, but he has been extremely supportive of his daughter," Sharon replied. "His statement described the relationship between Emily and her mother as a typical mother-teenage daughter one. According to him they occasionally argued over boys and clothes but they also were very close. He expressed shock that Emily is as sick as she is. The detective who interviewed him observed that he seemed to be filled with genuine remorse that he didn't take her to a psychiatrist when it was first suggested. And the Juvenile Detention visitor logs show that he has visited his daughter every day."

"What's the current status of the evaluations?" Sgt. Gabriel asked.

Marian answered, "They're proceeding..."

Chief Taylor interrupted her, "But they're inconclusive."

Steve was frowning. "Why do you want a plea deal before the evaluations are completed?"

"We feel that she would be amenable to a deal now. The longer we wait the more resistance she could develop," Chief Taylor explained. "And we don't want someone who planned and committed such a violent crime to get off with serving ten years as a juvenile offender and then have her record sealed."

"This office has not made the decision to try Emily as an adult," Steve interjected.

"Yes, well, we believe that the viciousness of the attack indicates that she should be tried as an adult. _If_ this case has to go to trial, that is," Taylor replied.

"But she's only fourteen so the death penalty is completely off the table. You're askin' her to agree to the worst possible sentence she could receive," Brenda observed.

"I must say, Chief Johnson, it seems to me that you're acting more as her defense counsel than as a prosecutor."

"I'm not her defense counsel, Chief Taylor, and I'm not a prosecutor. I'm in charge of Investigations. But I have to question whether a deal can or should be reached in this case until the investigation is completed and all the information is in."

Chief Taylor started to reply but Steve interrupted him. "I agree. If the evaluations are unable to reach a conclusion, or if they conclude that Emily planned and executed this murder, then the DA's office would consider a plea deal. But as I understand it, the case is still open. And if there's a chance that she is innocent or mentally ill beyond the capability of knowing right from wrong, then we don't want to see a fourteen year old go to prison for the rest of her life."

"Of course it's Chief Taylor's call, but maybe Major Crimes should pick up this case, considerin' that there is a possibility that the primary suspect might not be the guilty party," Brenda suggested. "In the meantime the evaluations should continue as planned."

"We're dealing with a child here," Steve said, "So we need to be extremely careful how we proceed. Until the possibility that someone else committed this crime has been thoroughly investigated, as only Major Crimes can, and the evaluations are completed, the DA's office will not consider offering Emily Solis a deal. Nor will we take this case to trial until we know what we're dealing with."

Chief Taylor scowled, then said, "Very well, then. Captain Raydor, you have your marching orders."

As the meeting adjourned, Brenda took Sharon aside and asked, "How is Rusty doin'?"

"Very well, I think. He's still sad over his mom abandoning him again, but he's settling in at school. At least I haven't received any recent complaints about his behavior."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. Please tell him that I said hello."

"You know, you could call him if you wanted to. I know he'd love to hear from you."

"You don't think it would create problems for you?"

"No. He's settled in now and I think he has enough security that it would be ok."

"All right, then. I'll do that. Thanks," Brenda smiled at Sharon and the two women turned back to the group.

After some small talk, as the participants were leaving, Steve said, "Chief Johnson, may I have a word with you?"

Hearing that, everyone but Brenda left the room and she turned to Steve and smiled, "Thank you, Steve. I really appreciate your support."

"Of course. May I assume you're going to call Mr. Stroud to advise him of the outcome of today's meeting?"

"I can if you wish, but I suspect that DDA Grainger will already have made the call by the time I get back to my office."

"Fine. As long as someone does," Steve said. As he picked up his notebook he continued, "I feel very strongly about this case. I don't want to see Emily railroaded because Chief Taylor is in a hurry to close a case and move on. You see, I have a fourteen year old daughter myself." When he saw Brenda's surprised expression he smiled and explained. "Menopause baby. She sure surprised us, but she's been the light of our lives. And I keep thinking what if someone were trying to condemn her to life in prison without parole?"

Brenda nodded, "That is a sickenin' thought for someone so young who apparently either is innocent or may have been driven to murder by a mental condition when she'd never had the proper treatment."

This time it was Steve's turn to nod. "I just hope that Major Crimes will conduct an exhaustive investigation. I don't want to see a child consigned to life in prison because workloads are too high and budgets are strained."

"I'm sure they will. I know Sharon Raydor and she is not only very methodical and thorough, she is also a mother. And three of the detectives in Major Crimes are parents too. Also, Sgt. Gabriel will render any assistance they need."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, I guess we've just got to wait for the investigation and the evaluations," he concluded.

* * *

That evening Annette called Brenda. After a maddening volley of small talk Annette said, "Oh, by the way, I've got that phone number for you. Have you given any more thought to the survey?"

"Oh. I was kinda hopin' that you had forgotten about that number."

"No, we didn't forget. Both Jerry and I loved that vacation so much. We talked about it on the way home the other night. And we both agreed that we would do the survey again in a heartbeat if it meant that we could take another cruise like that one again next year."

"Well, before I agree to callin' the 800 number, I want to make sure that it doesn't obligate us to doin' the survey."

"No, it doesn't. They give you a separate appointment and they just ask that you call and cancel if you change your mind."

"If I agree Fritz is gonna make the call. I'm just gonna listen in on the extension."

"That's a good idea. The woman we talked to was really helpful so I'm sure you'll get a lot of information that way." Annette's tone was encouraging.

Brenda wrote down the number all the while wondering if she could just pretend that Annette hadn't given it to her. After all, since Fritz was at a meeting, he wouldn't know that Annette had called. But she knew that eventually he would ask about it so she just thanked her and put the number in her purse.

Just as she'd predicted, when he came in Fritz asked, "Jerry said Annette was going to call you with that phone number. Did you get it?"

"Oh, yes. She called earlier tonight."

"I know you're unhappy about the survey, but promise me that you'll really think about making the call, at least."

But Brenda surprised him. "I know how much this means to you so I'll agree to callin'. But just callin'," she cautioned.

"Ok. Let's do it right now."

Brenda smiled at how fast he had jumped on the opportunity. "Oh, strike while the iron is hot, huh?"

"That is the preferred _modus operandi_," he grinned.

As they had agreed, Fritz did all the talking but that agreement soon proved to be unnecessary. Just about all the questions were basic, boilerplate demographics about their ages, occupational category, how long they'd been married, previous marriages, etc. The only intimate question that Fritz had to answer dealt with whether they were straight or bi-sexual.

The woman on the other end said that his answers would be evaluated to determine whether they fit the criteria the research group needed. She advised Fritz that they would receive a phone call within the next three business days notifying them of their decision. If they were accepted into the survey, they would be given a serial number and a mutually convenient time for the actual survey would be set.

When they hung up the phones, Brenda sank back into the couch cushions. "If I do this, I think I'm gonna have to get drunk first," she said, remembering some of the personal information so freely shared with Irene Daniels years ago when they were sitting in a bar bombed out of their minds.

"So, does that mean you'll consider it?" Fritz asked as he sat down beside her.

Without answering his question Brenda asked, "Do you _really_ want to do this? Doesn't talkin' about our love makin' bother you at all?"

"I want to do it. I guess talking about sex is harder for women. But I keep thinking that we might be helpful to other couples. And wouldn't the payoff be worth it to you?"

"Oh, God," was all Brenda could say.

* * *

The next morning Marian Grainger was on the phone. "Chief Johnson, there may be a new lead in the Solis case."

"Oh, what lead?"

"Forensics found something at the edge of a pool of blood. They found the outline of the toe of a shoe. It's not a footprint. You can't see any tread, but that toe outline doesn't match either Mr. Solis's shoes or Emily's."

"That's somethin' but it's not much to go on," Brenda observed.

"No, but it certainly lends credence to the psychologist's suspicion that Emily's third person statements might be correct."

"Has Major Crimes ruled out that the toe outline could be from one of the first responders?"

"I don't know. Captain Raydor has assigned a Lieutenant Tao and he's working on checking that out."

"That's great. There's no human bein' on earth more meticulous than Lieutenant Tao."

"Also, our psychiatrist is going to try interviewing Emily again today. And I think the psychologist is going to see her tomorrow. Hopefully they will get more from her."

"Good. Please keep me updated," Brenda said as she concluded the call.

* * *

While she drove home from work, Brenda's thoughts drifted from adolescent insanity to survey insanity. She found herself thinking about Fritz's comments about how much he wanted to do the survey for her sake, and about how good a cruise would be for both of them.

And she thought about how much of himself Fritz had sacrificed for her during their marriage, and especially during the past year. She thought about how freely he had given her more of himself than she had deserved, and how many times he had had to forgive her because she was thinking only about her own needs of the moment instead of him.

* * *

When she opened the door, Brenda looked at the clock. Fritz was at an AA meeting and would be bringing dinner, but her stomach was growling so she poured herself a glass of wine and grabbed a banana. When she was finished she decided to call Rusty and picked up the phone. "Hi, Rusty. This is Brenda. How's it goin'?"

"Brenda! Hi. Everything is going great. I'm in this new Catholic school which is kinda weird because I'm not Catholic, but at least I get to sleep during chapel."

She squelched a giggle and asked, "How are the other kids?"

"It's school, Brenda. There are all kinds, all herded together. Some are ok and some are jerks, but the kids in the Chess Club are ok. They're terrible players, though, so they really need me on the team. Oh, and they gave me this great laptop. It's for assignments and stuff but I put a really cool chess game on it, too."

"Well, good for you. It sounds like you're doin' well. You certainly sound happier than when I last saw you."

"Yeah, even living with a cop is better than being stuck in a foster home."

Brenda laughed out loud at that statement. "I'll have to ask my husband about that." Fritz entered the back door with their dinner so Brenda said, "He just walked in so I'll let you go. It was good talkin' to you."

"Ask your husband about what?" Fritz asked as he put the Styrofoam boxes on the table.

"Oh, that was Rusty Beck. He said that livin' with a cop was better than bein' in foster care."

"Well, I love living with an ex-cop," he said as he kissed her.

As they ate Brenda told him about the Solis case. "What kind of 'deal' is that? It's like they're tryin' to trick her."

"Has anyone even looked for other suspects?"

"They interviewed the victim's husband and the deacons from their church and the neighbors too. The husband has a rock-solid alibi. Apparently the victim was loved by everyone, and since Emily told the 911 dispatcher that she had killed her mother the investigation pretty much stopped at that point."

"What about the boyfriend?"

"Both he and his mother say he was at home when the murder took place."

"Maybe Emily really did it," Fritz suggested.

"It's a possibility," she allowed, "But I don't want to see a vicious killer get away because every possibility wasn't investigated."

"Are there any other leads?"

"Maybe," and she told him about the toe print.

"Are you going to examine the evidence?"

"No, not until the LAPD case is closed. If I examine it, it will only be to determine if somethin' we need is missin' if we go to court. But with this new 'Let's Make A Deal' push that Taylor is on, it might never get to court."

Fritz sought to reassure his wife. "I've watched Captain Raydor work and she's good. She'll conduct a complete investigation."

"I know. And I know I can't do anythin' about Major Crimes' investigations. But I just want to march into that Murder Room, line everythin' up on the murder board, and get to work."

"You still miss it, don't you?"

"Not every day like I did at first. But with a case like this one, I do," Brenda admitted, "Especially since I have this naggin' feelin' that somethin's not addin' up."

As they stood up to clear the table, Fritz put his arms around his wife and held her. After resting in his arms for a moment, she murmured, "You wanna know a secret?"

"What?"

"Your arms are magic."

"I'm glad to hear that," he chuckled.

"They are. The insanity disappears from my life when you hold me."

"Funny. The same thing happens when you hold me."

When Brenda heard that, she tightened her arms around him.

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: I really need to hear from you, so could you please take a minute to complete the box below? Thank you.**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Insanity**

**Chapter 3:**

Fritz hadn't mentioned the survey again but Brenda saw that he had googled the research group and had looked up the cruise offerings. As she traced his internet searches she realized once more how important this was to him. So that night while they were doing dishes she asked him what cruises he'd like to take.

"Well, I've never been to Hawaii but you have. So I thought it would be fun to go someplace neither one of us has been."

"Like where?"

"Have you ever been to Alaska?"

"No. But Daddy said that Alaska in the summertime is gorgeous."

"Don Banyon and his wife went on an Alaskan cruise and he said it was great."

"What other choices would we have?"

Fritz's voice became animated. "I looked them up online. There's Central America and the Panama Canal, the Scandinavian countries, the Mediterranean..."

"Where in the Mediterranean?"

"There are different ones. Southern France and Spain is one choice, the Greek Islands is another. Cyprus and Turkey. Oh, and Italy."

"But I thought we agreed to go back to Italy for our tenth weddin' anniversary," Brenda reminded him.

"Ok. So we save Italy for our tenth," he agreed. "We could see France and Spain. I've heard they're beautiful."

"Well, I'd like to go to Paris and that's inland so it's not gonna be a port of call."

"But we'd see the French Riviera and Monaco."

"Hmmm. That does sound wonderful. That's one to consider. What about Greece? Aren't the Greek Islands supposed to be gorgeous? And all that Greek history and mythology? You know how much you loved hearin' about all the Roman gods and that history."

"Yeah, that's true," Fritz admitted. "We've got some good choices but I think we'd need to do more research."

"Annette said their cruise lasted ten days. I think we could see a lot in that time, no matter which one we picked."

"Jerry said they had to deal with blackout dates," he remembered. "I can ask him how long they had to figure all of this out."

Brenda saw his enthusiasm building and this increased her ambivalence. Her aversion to talking about intimate things was colliding with her knowledge that he'd had precious few of the finer things in his life. This was a huge opportunity for him. How could she let him down? She knew that if she tried and failed that he would be incredibly disappointed. _But he'll be even more disappointed if I don't even try_.

* * *

The next evening the research group called. Fritz answered the phone and wrote down their serial number. The caller explained that the number would be the same for both of them and that there would be an F suffix for his wife and an M suffix for him. She stressed that they would have to bring that number to their interview and that there would be no additional identifying information required. Both interviews would be held simultaneously in different rooms. Just as Annette and Jerry had explained, Brenda would be interviewed by a woman and he would be interviewed by a man. Fritz checked both of their calendars and made their appointment.

He asked how the cruise would be arranged and was told that once the survey was completed they would be given a voucher with the name and number of the travel agency responsible for booking their cruise. It would be up to them to call and make their own arrangements. Since the voucher would be from the travel industry, the agency would not know anything about the survey. He thanked the woman and ended the call.

"Well," Brenda said, "I guess we're approachin' the moment of truth."

When they had settled into bed for the night Fritz raised himself up on one elbow and said, "Honey, I don't get it. You're a wonderful lover. You're responsive and spontaneous. And you certainly are creative. Why are you so unnerved by this survey?"

"I just don't like discussin' the intimate parts of our relationship. It's so special. Sometimes I feel like it's the only good thang I have in my life. And if I discuss it, it won't just be ours. It'll be a clinical part of someone's doctoral dissertation or somethin' like that. And I hate that."

"I guess I don't think of it like that. I'm not worried that what we have will be changed in any way. But maybe this survey will help other couples improve their marriages."

"I don't know. I don't think I'd be as bothered talkin' about past relationships, though."

"That's interesting," he commented. "It's exactly the opposite for me." When he saw her surprise he explained, "I think it's because I don't even want to think about past relationships."

"I wonder if that's common among couples takin' the survey. I wish we could ask some questions," she mused.

"Maybe the results will be posted online and we can read them."

"That would be interestin'," she agreed. "But even if we can't, we can at least compare notes later. I'd be interested in knowin' if our questions are the same."

"Does that mean you've decided to do it?" Fritz looked hopeful.

"I'm thinkin' about it."

He didn't reply. He just took her hand and kissed it and then turned out the lights. But she had seen love and hope in his eyes. And the memory of that moment stayed with her throughout the following day.

* * *

Brenda's phone rang and Linda told her that Sgt. Gabriel was on the line so she picked up. "Good mornin', Sergeant."

"Good morning, Chief. I was just over at Major Crimes and there is news on the Audrey Solis case. Lieutenant Tao examined Emily's bloody clothes and said that the blood on her clothing is not what he would expect to see if Emily had stabbed her mother. All the blood is smeared blood, no blood spatter. According to Tao, the blood is consistent with Emily either holding her mother or trying to render some kind of aid."

"What about the toe print?"

"Well, there's no more news there yet. But Detectives Sykes and Sanchez re-interviewed the neighbors. One of the neighbors had left right after the murder to catch a plane in order to go visit a new grandchild and was not part of the initial interviews. At any rate, she reported hearing screams and seeing a car backing out of the driveway. She got a partial plate number but never called in the complaint. They ran the number and are tracking down the plates which match."

"Maybe that'll bring somethin'."

"And there's more. Both the psychiatrist and the psychologist have interviewed Emily again and the psychiatrist has observed her speaking in the third person. He agrees with the psychologist that Emily is apparently describing seeing the crime scene. They now have a diagnosis. Emily is a schizophrenic, but not a paranoid schizophrenic. And they say that being held at Juvie is causing her to decompensate. They both urge that she be moved to a mental health facility with pediatric services."

"Thank you, David. I'm gonna call DA Corning to update him."

* * *

Brenda hurried to open the back door and grab the ringing phone. "Hello."

"Hi, Brenda, it's Rusty."

"Oh hi, Rusty. What's up?"

"I've got a mess here and I need some advice."

When she heard that she set her purse down and picked up a bottle of wine and a glass. As she poured the wine she replied, "Ok. What's goin' on?"

"DCFS found a man they say is my biological father and he wants to meet me."

"And you don't want to?"

"No. Here's the thing. I didn't even know he existed until day before yesterday. And now he wants to play 'Daddy'? Brenda, it's insane."

"I guess it would feel that way. But tell me, did he know about you?" she asked and took a sip of her wine.

"I don't know. He says he didn't, but I don't care. I don't want to meet him."

"Rusty, you've got to stop and think this through before you make that decision."

"What's to think about? He didn't care to find out about me for sixteen years. Why should I care to find out about him?"

"How could he have known about you? You said you and your mom moved around a lot. Was he supposed to think 'Oh, I dated this girl seventeen years ago so I guess I should find her to see if I have a child?''"

"Well…"

"Is anyone tellin' you that you've got to meet him? Has anyone suggested that you go to live with him?"

"Well, no. Not yet."

"In that case I think you should take your time and learn all you can about him first. I think you should consider all your options before makin' such a big decision. You know, lots of thangs that are unpleasant at the time actually turn out to be good in the end."

"That's kinda what Sharon said."

"You don't have to decide anythin' right now. Take all the time you need to think it through. And remember, just because you meet him doesn't mean you have to go to live with him."

"Ok. Thanks, Brenda. I guess I just needed to hear that from someone else."

"Anytime, Rusty. And if you need to talk about it with someone beside Sharon, call me, ok?"

"Ok, I will. Thanks."

* * *

_Lots of thangs that are unpleasant at the time turn out to be good in the end _ricocheted through her mind all evening. Finally she turned to Fritz and said, "I know this cruise means a lot to you so I'm willin' to try. I don't like it, but I promise I'll do my best."

He wrapped his arms around her and replied, "Thank you, honey. I know how hard this is for you. And it means a lot that you're willing to try."

Brenda couldn't miss the emotion in his voice and the look on his face. "I want to do this for you because I love you. But it's really hard for me. I just hope I don't let you down."

"You can do it. You're made of strong stuff," he said as he kissed her. She had her doubts about that but was relieved that she'd finally made her decision so she just put her head on his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart.

* * *

The alarm buzzed and Brenda quickly punched the snooze button. But she didn't sink back into her normal ten minute reprieve. Something was niggling at the back of her brain. She heard the water running in the shower and felt Fritz's side of the bed. It was empty. Not unusual. But there was something unusual about this morning. Then it hit her. It was Survey Day. She pulled the covers up over her head in futile denial.

The water shut off and soon Fritz emerged with a towel around his waist and pulled the covers down from her face. She looked at him smiling down at her and closed her eyes. When he moved to kiss her good morning she opened one eye and said, "Go away," and pulled the covers back up over her head.

"You know we have a 9:30 appointment," he said as he pulled the covers back down.

"I can't do it, Fritzi. I'm sorry."

"Would you like a quick refresher course?" he winked at her.

"God, no." She looked at him grinning down at her, sighed and got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom muttering, "I must really love you if I'm actually gonna do this."

"I know you do," he replied as he watched her disappear into the bathroom and then continued getting ready.

* * *

Their car's GPS system took them right to the front door of one of several cloned office buildings. No one looking at the building or its signage would guess that so much intimacy was dissected within.

"Ready?" Fritz asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I grabbed the Tums and I think I'm gonna need them," she replied.

He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "You'll do just fine."

They entered the building, found the correct office number on the wall directory and walked down the hall, Brenda lagging behind Fritz. He turned back to her and said, "This isn't the Bataan Death March."

"I'm just gonna duck into the Ladies Room for a second." After a stress-induced pee she washed her hands and checked her hair and makeup. "I don't know why I'm fussin' if no one is gonna see me," she muttered as she put the lipstick cap back on and dropped it into her purse.

Fritz was waiting for her in the hall. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, of course. Let's go," she replied and they entered the office. As the telephone caller had indicated there was no one in the lobby. Up against a wall beside what appeared to be a mail slot was a computer terminal and Fritz read a small sign which prompted him to enter their serial number.

"Why can't we do the whole thang on the computer?" Brenda asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they figure that we would have to clarify some answers," he suggested as he took his seat.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered as she sat down beside him.

At the far end of the lobby they saw two doors, each with an overhead computer light board. Soon they saw their serial number posted over each door, one with the F suffix and one with the M.

"This is it," Fritz said as he stood up.

"Why am I reminded of 'The Lady or the Tiger'?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Just tell them what you do to me and they'll know who the tiger is."

She just rolled her eyes and they both entered their respective interview rooms.

* * *

Brenda's room was small and sparse. On the small desk there was a set of earphones with an attached microphone. Next to the desk was a hot and cold water dispenser, cups, and herbal tea bags. She reached over and poured herself a cup of cold water before chewing on a Tums and putting on the headphones. She heard some homogenized background music and soon a woman's voice asked for her serial number. Once that was given the woman told her that she could help herself to water or tea at any time, that the survey would take approximately one hour, and that if at any time Brenda needed a break that she could ask for one.

Brenda swallowed her Tums, inhaled deeply, and replied, "Thank you. I'm ready."

The interviewer began by reviewing the demographic information Fritz had provided to make sure everything was accurate and Brenda confirmed that it was. The interviewer then obtained a personal and family history from her: What region of the country she was raised, family composition, educational background, career, interests and hobbies.

Brenda had no difficulty with any of these questions and was beginning to relax when the interviewer said she was going to ask about her sexual history. She grabbed another Tums and thought_ I wish this bottle was full_.

As she answered each detailed question with as short an answer as she could provide, a picture of her life took shape. Her parents taught all their children their own conservative, religious values and taught them that they should wait until marriage for sex. But while she did not completely abandon those values, she had not adhered to her parents' religious beliefs and had not followed her parents' sexual instructions, either. She dated in high school and, although she knew that several other girls in her class were sexually active, she was not. She occasionally felt pressured by boys but did not like any of them enough to give in.

She willingly lost her virginity at age 18 when she was a freshman in college. When asked about other relationships she said that she had had other boyfriends but always put her career goals first, and even though she had slept with them, she had refused to be pressured into anything resembling a commitment. She had never felt guilt or remorse about any of those relationships.

* * *

Fritz moved through the questions about his childhood and family influences easily. He first made love at age 17 to his Senior Prom date but his sexual activity was limited until college. Since each sexual experience had been within a relationship, he had never considered himself to be promiscuous. He told the interviewer that his first marriage was a "sexual roller coaster" but the interviewer said he did not need any details about that relationship since it ended before he was 40.

Fritz recounted several relatively short relationships after his divorce but denied that any of them were one night stands. He described a satisfying sexual relationship with Brenda which began about four years before they married and said that he had never been unfaithful to her, although he admitted to occasional sexual fantasies involving other women. And when the interviewer asked about using sexual aids he answered, "I don't know if a car counts as a sexual aid, but I like having sex in cars." He had no difficulty answering the questions and he wondered how Brenda was holding up.

* * *

She was speaking of her affair with Will Pope and found it more difficult. She found herself starting to refer to him by his first name. The interviewer had to remind her to refrain from giving any identifying information and she found this both stressful and reassuring.

As the interview proceeded, Brenda became more sure of herself and relaxed. Her first marriage had occurred on the rebound from this disastrous affair and had ended because of her husband's attempts to control every aspect of her life as well as his unwarranted jealousy.

She was surprised that, to this point, the interviewer had not asked for the embarrassing, intimate details she had been dreading and expressed this surprise to the interviewer. "We are not interested in obtaining detailed information about any relationships terminating before age 40," the interviewer explained.

The stress came roaring back because this meant that all the details were going to be limited to hers and Fritz's sex life. So she replied, "That would only be Fr... my husband's and my relationship."

"All right," the interviewer replied, "We'll move on to your current marriage history." Brenda was then asked about how they met, how long they had been sexual partners, whether they had a traditional or open relationship, and whether other issues in their marriage affected their sexual relationship. Although she had no problem with these questions, she felt her anxiety level rising so she grabbed another Tums.

The questions then became very intrusive. She was asked to state whether or not she enjoyed an entire checklist of sexual activities along with how frequently she participated in them. And, although she was able to keep her answers very short, she became increasingly uncomfortable. And when the interviewer asked about the specifics of their oral and anal sex practices she had to fight her impulse to run out of the room. The woman heard the stress in Brenda's voice and her clipped answers and asked her if she'd like to take a break.

"How much longer will this interview last?" she asked, sure that it had been going on for at least a month already.

"We've completed ninety percent of the questions. So we're almost finished."

"Then let's keep goin'," she replied, gripping the arms of the chair.

The interviewer then asked about STDs, the use of sexual aids, pornography, impotence, and sexual surrogates. She had no difficulty answering those questions because they had never been issues in their relationship. And she stated that she disliked pornography so it had played no part in their sex life.

Being asked about whether or not they had ever engaged in sexual activity in a public place brought back memories. Brenda couldn't suppress a giggle as she remembered a time when they were picnicking in what they had thought to be a secluded spot. Just after they had shed their clothing a family had burst onto the scene. They grabbed their clothes and ran back to their car leaving their picnic behind. She had been able to dress in the car before they reached the main highway, but Fritz had to wait until they reached a red light before he could pull on his shirt. They laughed all the way home while they hoped that no one realized he was driving with his pants draped over his lap.

Finally the interview was over and Brenda practically sprinted back into the lobby where Fritz was waiting for her.

"Well, I see you survived." He was smiling at her.

"Just barely. Believe me, it was touch and go for a while. You owe me a big box of candy every day until we go on that cruise. Can we please go home now?"

He chuckled and reminded her, "We have to wait for our voucher."

Soon they heard an envelope containing their cruise voucher drop into a tray next to the computer terminal. Fritz put it in his pocket and they walked back to their car hand in hand.

* * *

Driving home, he turned to her and asked, "Well, did the survey inspire you to try anything new? In the interest of research, of course."

Brenda saw the mischievous twinkle in his eye and replied in kind. "Oh, I don't know. She asked me about playin' the dominatrix role so I may want to hone my skills in that area. In the interest of research, of course."

* * *

At the end of the following day Brenda's phone rang and Linda advised her that Captain Raydor was on the line. "Hello, Sharon. What can I do for you?"

"Good afternoon, Chief Johnson. I just wanted to update you on our afternoon activities. We've arrested the killer of Audrey Solis."

"Really? Who?"

"We got a partial license plate and one of the cars which had those first few numbers just happened to belong to Andrew Kalter, a deacon in Rev. Solis' church. So we obtained a warrant and we found a pair of shoes with some blood in the seam at the toe. The blood type matches the victim's and we should get a DNA match tomorrow. Apparently Mr. Kalter took offense when Audrey terminated their affair."

"That's a relief. Have you advised Mr. Stroud? I understand that he's very anxious to get Emily out of Juvie and into a mental hospital."

"I believe that DDA Grainger called him. And I spoke to Rev. Solis. He's going to listen to the doctors and have Emily transferred to a pediatric facility until she can be stabilized. Oh, one last thing. Chief Taylor is asking that a plea deal be negotiated with Mr. Kalter so we'll be working on that as soon as the DNA match is in."

"Taylor and his Let's Make A Deal," Brenda sneered.

"I know you don't like it. But he'll be in prison for the rest of his life so it's not a bad thing."

"Thank you, Sharon, for lettin' me know. I'm gonna call DA Corning right now."

After listening to Brenda, Steve sighed, "That's a huge relief. Now maybe I can look at my own daughter without thinking about Emily."

She hung up the phone realizing that this time, at least, the LAPD and the DA's office had worked together to find justice for both the murder victim and the falsely accused, and there was a great deal of satisfaction in that.

* * *

Brenda was sitting on the couch folding laundry when Fritz came through the door with something behind his back.

"What do you have there?" she asked.

Without saying anything, Fritz placed a box of her favorite See's chocolates and a large envelope in her hands.

"The information packet about the cruise?"

Fritz nodded and sat beside her. She set the laundry basket aside, popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth and offered one to Fritz. Then she pulled the folder and brochures from the envelope.

* * *

After a day of exploring the mysteries and beauty of Mykonos they lounged on their private balcony on board the cruise ship, watching the puffy white clouds scudding over the beautiful blue Aegean Sea and the Greek islands. Finally Fritz turned to Brenda and asked, "Well, was the survey worth it?"

Seeing the happiness on his face, she smiled and caressed his cheek. "Yes, I have to admit that it was."

_The End_

**A/N: It takes several days, sometimes weeks, to write a story. All we writers ask is that you take a minute or two to leave your review. Thank you for understanding how important this is to us.**

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